Taken from the book box at Starbucks on Warm Springs and Julia in Henderson, NV today. I had seen this book there for quite some time so decided to take it to release elsewhere, give it a chance to be found by someone new.

Well, I let this book sit in the book box at Starbucks for a long time. Finally, I grabbed it, intending to release it elsewhere without reading it. But I read it and I'm glad I did.

I'm not a big fan of spy thrillers. There are only a few spy writers I like, and I don't go looking for them. If I were looking, though, I'd put Meade on my list.

The story takes place in 1953. Eisenhower was the new president and Stalin was the increasingly deranged dictator of the Soviet Union. A medical report on Stalin was leaked to top officials in Washington, and these officials began to imagine horrors if Stalin continued to hold office.

Two CIA agents are sent into Moscow, posing as man and wife. The plan, known only to the man, a seasoned killer, is to eliminate Stalin. The operation is run by an agent who is a longtime friend of the assassin. The operation depends on secrecy. But not everything goes as planned. In fact, almost nothing does.

The story had me at the edge of my seat again and again. Just when I thought it was safe, bam! Honestly, I don't look for books that do this to me, but this one, with compelling characters and believable scenes, kept me reading.

On the counter by the window.